John Gill Commentary Deuteronomy 34:3

"and the South, and the Plain of the valley of Jericho the city of palm-trees, unto Zoar." — Deuteronomy 34:3 (ASV)

And the south
The southern part of the land, even all of it; and having shown him that, he is directed eastward to take a view of

the plain of the valley of Jericho ;
which lay before him, a delightful plain; see (Joshua 5:10) ;

the city of palm trees ;
so Jericho was called, because of the multitude of palm trees which grew there, and which Josephus not only testifies {r}, who speaks of it as a plain planted with palm trees, and from whence balsam comes; but several Heathen writers: Pliny says ^F19 Jericho was set with palm trees; Diodorus Siculus ^F20 speaks of the country about Jericho as abounding with palm trees, and in a certain valley, meaning the vale or plains of Jericho, is produced that which is called balsam; so Strabo says ^F21 , Jericho is a plain surrounded with mountains abounding with palm trees, where there is a plantation of palm trees, with other fruit trees, the space of a hundred furlongs:

unto Zoar ;
near the salt sea; see (Genesis 19:22) .

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FOOTNOTES:

• F19: Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 14.
• F20: Bibliothec. l. 2. p. 132.
• F21: Geograph. l. 16. p. 525.